Transfer Centre

Mark Warburton "optimistic" about Joleon Lescott, Joe Garner moves

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 18 August 2016

Rangers manager Mark Warburton is "optimistic" about his side's chances of signing Joleon Lescott and Joe Garner from Aston Villa and Preston respectively.

Rangers manager Mark Warburton has said that he is "optimistic" about his side's chances of signing Joleon Lescott and Joe Garner before the end of the transfer window.

Lescott met with Warburton earlier this week after being told that he is free to leave the recently-relegated Aston Villa, with the Championship outfit reportedly willing to cover part of the salary for the remaining year on his contract.

Garner, meanwhile, is expected to undergo a medical at Ibrox on Friday ahead of his proposed £1.5m move from Preston North End.

"I'm optimistic because we have to keep raising the profile of Rangers. Players know about the club, know about the history and stature of the club and hopefully we can keep pushing forward. If we can do that and sign players of the right calibre, then it's almost self-fulfilling," he told reporters.

"We can't compete with Premier League clubs, absolutely not. The financial disparity is evident for all to see. But what we can do is look at what we can offer a player. We can offer a player an opportunity here that is maybe not on offer at that club. And maybe those clubs can sign more players to have bigger squads. If a player doesn't buy into that, no problem, we shake hands and move on.

"You want players who want to be here, recognise an opportunity and see a role for themselves with Rangers. We can't compete when it comes down to straight cash, but with players of experience and players of quality it's not always about a straight cash deal. It's very much about the quality of opportunity. If we can get that right, then we have a chance."

Former Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos has also been training with Rangers this week.